The re-establishment of autochtoneous wild flora in floristicly depleted, organically managed fields

(German) Erprobungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben: Integration von Naturschutzzielen in den Ökologischen Landbau

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Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN)

2006-2009

• Carola Hotze
• Thomas van Elsen
• Jürgen Heß

The fields of the research farm Hessian Estate Frankenhausen which has been converted to organic agriculture in 1998 are floristicly depleted due to intensive conventional practice of crop cultivation. Continuous monitoring of permanent observation plots resulted in minimal succession of site-adopted wild flora from field edges. Since 2006 endangered species of wild flora were re-established through blooming strips as part of the project 'Integration of nature protection goals in organic agriculture demonstrated at the Hessian Estate Frankenhausen'. These seeds were propagated at the site, in addition corn cockle (Agrostemma githago) was included despite its known toxicity and low level of accepted contamination in cereals. Within the following years the establishment of different species of wild flora will be monitored after the initial sowing.

• Hotze, C., van Elsen, T., Haase, T., Heß, J., Otto, M. (2008): Ackerwildkraut-Blühstreifen zur Integration autochthoner Ackerwildkräuter in ökologisch bewirtschaftete Ackerflächen. – Beitr. 10. Wiss.-Tagung Ökol. Landbau (Band 1): 426-429, Zürich.
• van Elsen, T., Hotze, C. (2008): Die Integration autochthoner Ackerwildkräuter und der Kornrade in Blühstreifenmischungen für den Ökologischen Landbau. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, Special Issue XXI: 373–378.